Friday, December 31, 2010

como te voy a olvidar


As I dance in our living room to an eclectic mix of music with the people that matter most to me and as the last hour of the decade approaches (tick tock tick tock), my mind takes me on a field trip of some of the most pleasant and also some of the most heart-aching moments over the past ten years. To think only a few decades typically make up a lifetime and I've already experienced two and a half-ish. This is the first one I remember clearly, so it's the first one I'll never forget. We started dancing to the song I'm about to post, and I thought it would be perfect to help articulate how I feel about the past decade. It's called "Como Te Voy A Olvidar" (How Will I Ever Forget You). Sure it may be silly and cheesy and I'm totally using it in the wrong context, but I like it. I'm not sure why, but I like it a lot - the same goes for the past ten years. Happy New Decade!





Tuesday, December 28, 2010

she's like the big orchestra, playing my tiny tune


One of the many advantages of having siblings is that the odds of discovering a good tune increase greatly. Four ears are better than one. My little brother was listening to Roll the Credits by Peter Bjorn and John the other day, and he pointed out this one verse: Just tapping on my shoes and/ I couldn't want it more/ The way I know she's close. Sometimes all it takes is a good verse to fall in love with a song. I'm not sure how this one song bypassed my ears for so long, but I sure am glad I finally heard it. In case you haven't, here it is:




Sweater: Silence + Noise
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Top: Aeropostale
Shorts: Zara

Saturday, December 25, 2010

I do not care for the winter sun


This was my Christmas day outfit. I was quite happy with it. The holiday season left me exhausted so that's it for this post. I'm going to leave you with a song I consider an oldie only cause it's been awhile since I heard it. I've been listening to Tegan and Sara again, I missed them. Anyhow, enjoy:


Top: Forever 21
Blazer: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Zara
Necklace, Shoes: Aldo

Thursday, December 23, 2010

feet on the ground head on the sky


Sometimes it's hard finding outfits that can withstand 10 hour shifts at work. This one worked out quite well, but I inevitably removed the blazer cause it got pretty warm with all them shoppers. It was a long, hectic day, so I convinced the little sis to accompany me to a local bar for a cold brewski. It was karaoke night, but we decided to play the role of the audience instead of the drunken, wannabe singers. We weren't a very attentive audience considering we mostly talked about songs we'd love to perform one day, among them: Hey by the Pixies, This Must Be The Place by the Talking Heads, Little Bit by Lykke Li, and Electric Feel by MGMT. I'm sure one day we'll either have one too many or none too many and convince our fragile egos to get up and sing. I hope we decide on This Must Be The Place, it's such a good tune. Nod your head and press play:


Blazer: Silence and Noise
Jeans: BDG
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Top and Scarf: Charlotte Russe

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

...it's because i love you most of all

You always hurt the one you love,
The one you shouldn't hurt at all.
You always take the sweetest rose
And crush it till the petals fall.
You always break the kindest heart
With a hasty word you can't recall.
So If I broke your heart last night,
It's because I love you most of all.
Every time I think of Ryan Gosling, I hear the song Just Like Heaven by the Cure in my mental jukebox. Cheesy, I know. Now, I hate to come-off as a fanatic, thirteen year old girl, but I have a legitimate, real-life crush on this man. I'm almost certain that if I were to meet him, it wouldn't take more than five minutes before my heart would start skipping beats at an inconceivable pace. More than anything, I admire his work esthetic. He's definitely one to go for an interesting, complex role. His music sets him apart as well. Simply put, he intrigues me. I'm excited for Blue Valentine. Above are the lyrics to the song he sings in the trailer, you should sing along as you watch it: 




Pants, Belt: American Apparel
Bag: Aldo
Flats: Nine West
Top: Aeropostale


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

my moon my man


We (mom and the sibs) made a random trip to San Antonio on Monday to do some shopping. We hit up the Half Price Books first. I don't read much, so mostly I just roamed the aisles looking for something interesting to pick up; I had no such luck, so I just started snapping photos. Considering I came close to changing my major in college to English, it doesn't make much sense why it is that only magazines interest me. I loved my literature courses in college, but even then I wouldn't always read the material. Mostly, I would just look forward to the lectures and discussions. My classmates hated me because I'd skip readings and still ace the exams. I guess as long as you make sense of the message at hand, it doesn't really matter if you read the material in its entirety. Anyhow, I guess I just don't have the attention span required for such an act just yet, maybe when I'm thirty. I'm a much more visual person right now. 

And if you haven't figured it out already, I enjoy pleasing my ears as well. For this post, I decided to go with My Moon My Man by Feist. She's so adorable, and this video is great. The song is also quite fitting since the eclipse was Monday night. The entire sky and the moon were breathtaking, it's a shame it wasn't very photogenic. It seems the most pleasant things are the hardest to capture or explain. Anyway, enjoy the video: 





Monday, December 20, 2010

black dog



You can never go wrong with a black embellished top and skinny jeans. It's easy and sexy. It's also my default when I'm trying to survive on three hours of sleep. The red lip was an attempt to accessorize my look and spice things up.

Something else you can't go wrong with, Led Zeppelin. Here's a favorite:


Sunday, December 19, 2010

i'm out at sea and i'm floating away



Sometimes you anticipate things with such excitement that you inevitably begin to realize that maybe your hopes are getting the best of you, maybe you should let gravity and reality bring you and your high expectations down. 

Long ago I came to terms with the simple fact that I live in Planet Earth not Planet Cristina, so more often than not, I expect reality - not to be mistaken with the worst case scenario. Nope, I typically won't expect the worst, or the best for that matter, I just expect the mundane. Reality is that I wont go more than a week without bumping into a table and subsequently getting a huge bruise on my left thigh (for those of you who spotted it and were curious). Reality is that not every show the BLive guys put on at Old Number Two will be amazing...or is it?

Despite the tendency I have to expect the mundane, every now and then I allow my thoughts to vividly color in the wonderful possibilities of life or, in this case, a concert. My thoughts used only the most vibrant colors when it came to envisioning the Heartless Bastards' show. Reality...what's that? It certainly didn't stop my thoughts from getting carried away and coloring way outside the lines of the mundane. I was just asking to be left feeling disappointed. Lucky for me, I don't think reality or disappointment know the exact coordinates for Old Number Two.

Simply put, Heartless was amazing. It didn't take more than two seconds of standing two feet away from them (yes, this is why I love Old Two) to realize what a talented group of musicians they are. It didn't take a second later before I realized that I would have to hold off on going to the restroom as long as possible. It was worth the wait. They made the butterflies in my stomach flutter and the birds that reside inside my soul fly. It wasn't long before all of the fluttering and the flying lifted me off the floor and there I was the happiest girl in the bar thinking that my night couldn't get any better. Then, I met the band and was pleased to find that they were genuinely nice, cool people. I'm still high off the ground from that night. I love how music can do that to you. 

As I wrote this and was reminded of the anticipation for the night and the night itself, I had a thought: I realized that I should quit expecting the mundane. As much sense as it makes to expect the worst so you're never left feeling disappointed, I'm beginning to realize that the feeling one gets when your expectations are surpassed and left on land while you're floating out at sea makes the risk of feeling disappointed worth it. Try it:



Blazer: Silence and Noise
Top: Express
Shorts: Levis
Stockings: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

you said it was not inside my heart, it was




One of the best things about concert road trips to Austin is the next morning when I head to the Urban Outfitters on Guadalupe. I always find exactly what it is I am looking for when I'm there. The minute my eyes glanced on this wool camel blazer, I knew this time would be no different - I would leave a happy girl. After the blazer, my eyes flirted with this long floral dress that I had seen a month prior but put back because of the almost triple digit price. I'm so glad I held back that time, the dress was on sale for $20. Needless to say, this time, I didn't hold back. 

Another great thing about these frequent road trips is the music to and from Austin (and in between too of course). I was especially pleased with my little sisters music selection when we were home bound: a mix of the National, Deer Hunter, and the Morning Benders. I must have asked her an absurd and annoying amount of times to remind me who it was that we were listening to. My redundant ways must have paid off because I was actually able to recall the names of the bands just now. If you haven't guessed it already, I have an awful, good-for-nothing memory. However, every now and then my brain cells align, a light turns on, sparks fly, and I'm able to either retain or recall a piece of information - like the name of a song. This was the case when I heard Anyone's Ghost by the National. 

I'm almost certain it was the chorus that made sparks fly. The chorus took the liberty of going past my ear drum and making itself at home in some deep corner in my head next to the likes of other songs like Dance, Dance, Dance by Lykke Li and things I'll never forget like my siblings' birthdays. What was so special about this chorus, you might ask? It took me back to a point in time where I felt exactly as the singer described. You can hear the song for yourself or search for the lyrics to further decipher what it is I mean. If it's the first, I'll save you the trouble of searching for the song:


Top: Urban Outfitters
Pants: Charlotte Russe
Beaded Necklace: Aldo
Little People Charm: Forever 21